This will probably be one of the most important online poker secrets that I could give to you.  This is for New Cash Game players – either transitioning from Online Poker Tournaments OR from Live Cash Games.

If you are going to be playing any No Limit or Pot Limit cash games (no matter what the game of poker is you are playing), you should have a minimum of 20x the max buy-in of the game in your bankroll.  For example, if you are starting to play 0.50/1 NL HE, the max buy-in at the table is usually $100.  Your bankroll should be at least $1,000.

You need to have a bankroll to sustain the swings, and if you choose to play a stake without the bankroll, you are putting yourself in a losing situation, no matter how good of a poker player you think you are!

If you are going to play a cash game, buy into a table with the maximum, not the minimum or any random number.  If you sit down at a texas holdem poker table (say 1/2 NL) with $40 instead of the maximum $200 – you are automatically going to be tagged as a fish by your opponents.  This may be what you want (so you get action) but the reality is, there are more efficient ways of tagging yourself as a fish!  If you want to get the maximum out of the table limit you are playing, then you have to have the maximum amount of money at the poker table!

In light of my last post about Super System, I wanted to make a quick comment about the continuation bet.

While the continuation bet is a good strategy in a lot of circumstances, you must know when the continuation bet is going to be worth your while.  If you are playing against a calling station, stop doing the continuation bet – as the real purpose of this move is to get the opponent out of the hand.

Super System edjucates players to always continue their bet after the flop if they have raised pre flop – and I think that if you want to be a winning player you need to discover when the right time to continue your bet is!

Books like Super System have been a huge success in selling to new poker players.  Most of us who are serious about poker know that the Super System books have been an absolute GIFT to the poker industry – not because of the value in the book, but because of the fish that Super System has bread!

Yes – Doyle Brunson is a master at the game – but do you really think that his advice is decent for anyone playing under 5/10 NL? 

Keep in mind that when playing the Super System strategies, you have to be playing against players that are intelligent enough to know the game of poker – and at mid to low stakes poker, you are never going to find a lot of these players.  Generally, you are only going to be put in a situation where this strategy will fail.

I understand that when you bet the flop and the turn you feel like you should at least give it another shot on the river. Think about what you are doing when you keep betting. Are you trying to represent you have a hand or do you have a hand and are betting for value? If you bet and bet and you keep getting called you should stop to think what they could be calling you with. This is especially important if you have position on your opponent and they keep check calling you. It is ok to check on the river and save yourself from being in the position to have to call a raise especially if you only have a pair. This will save you a lot of headaches and money in the end.